Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Advisor in Chester

Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and support services explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it's sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society. Come and discover how much you can achieve when you're surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity.

Key accountabilities

• The role holder will act as a competent Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Advisor within SHE Group, providing expert advice on the safe operation, maintenance and statutory compliance of STFC assets, ensuring that electrical systems, pressure systems, gas, water and other critical infrastructure is in line with legislation, standards and other SHE requirements.

Role Responsibilities

• SHE Compliance: Operate as a competent SHE Advisor, providing professional guidance and assurance on compliance with health, safety and environmental legislation. Advise on risk management, safe systems of work, and statutory requirements relevant to estates engineering and infrastructure activities. Support the management of statutory inspections and compliance regimes.
• Technical SHE Specialisms: Provide subject matter expertise for key estates-related hazards, including: Legionella control, ensuring compliance with ACOP L8, implementation of water safety plans, and effective monitoring regimes. Asbestos management, including review of surveys, management plans, and compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations. Gas systems safety, ensuring safe operation, maintenance, and appropriate competency arrangements. Electrical safety (low and high voltage) and isolation procedures.
• Estates and Contractor Safety Management: Support the application of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM), understanding and advising on all duty holder roles. Lead and support contractor safety management, including pre-qualification and competence assessment, review of risk assessments and method statements, and monitoring contractor performance and compliance.
• Audit, Assurance and Continuous Improvement: Lead and support SHE audits, inspections, and compliance reviews. Maintain and develop SHE safety codes and act as a point of contact for relevant subject areas. Identify gaps, track corrective and preventative actions, and drive continuous improvement. Maintain accurate, auditable records and contribute to internal/external assurance reporting.
• Incident Management and Learning: Support the investigation of incidents and near misses related. Ensure root cause analysis is undertaken and lessons learned are effectively shared and embedded.
• SHE Management Systems and Training: Assist in the development and implementation of SHE policies, procedures, and guidance. Contribute to the delivery of training, briefings, and awareness initiatives for staff and contractors. Promote a proactive safety culture, challenging unsafe behaviours and supporting continuous improvement across STFC.
• Emergency Response: Participate in emergency planning and response arrangements, providing SHE support. Participate in an on-call rota to provide SHE support outside normal working hours.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

• Essential: HND in a science, engineering or construction and built environment related discipline. NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (or in final stages of completing this).
• Desirable: Lead Auditor training (ISO 45001). Legionella awareness training in accordance with ACoP L8. Up to date on recent changes to CDM and The Building Safety Act 2026. British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) P400 Asbestos Foundation Module.

Knowledge and Experience

• Essential: Demonstrable experience working with UK high-risk engineering systems, including electrical infrastructure (low and high voltage), pressure systems, water safety, gas systems, and asbestos. Ensuring safe operation, statutory compliance and maintenance in accordance with relevant legislation and standards. Experience in producing written safety policy documents. Experience investigating safety incidents and writing reports. Experience of delivering engineering renewal or construction projects. Strong familiarity with the Microsoft Office software suite.

Personal Skills and Qualities

• Essential: Strong negotiation skills. Excellent communicator, both written and verbal. Ability to work in a methodical and structured manner. Customer aware and experience providing training or briefs to staff at all levels. Demonstrable commitment to team working and collaboration, with a flexible, can-do approach.

STFC values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, an exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant. We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Whatever our role, we have the freedom to explore, learn and connect, as part of a community that loves to share knowledge and support one another. As one of Europe's largest research organisations, this is a place where there's always something new to learn about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. Join us and discover what's possible by submitting your CV and covering letter which outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified, along with your motivation for STFC and the role.

Please note: if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you (and any dependants travelling with you) will be required to pay costs directly to the UK Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee, and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager.